Apparatus for washing photographic prints.



No. 784,861. PVATENTED MAR. 14, 1905.

, E.L.JOHNSON.

APPARATUS FOR WASHING PHOTOGRAPHIG PRINTS.

ARPLIOATION FILED MAR. 20, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 WITNESSES mm fan I EverardL.J0kns0n ITTORNEYS PATENTED MAR. 14, 1905.

- E. L. JOHNSON. APPARATUS FOR WASHING PHOTOGRAPHIO PRINTS.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 26, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

firllllll (WIT/(5958 (2% m, S 4MM an r l TTURIIEI'S UNITED STATES Patented March 14, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

APPARATUS FOR WASHING FHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 784,861, dated March 14, 1905.

Application filed March 26, 1904. Serial No. 200,074.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EVERARD LEROY JOHN- soN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Patchogue, Long Island, in the county of Suffolk and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for \Nashing Photographic Prints, of which the following is a specification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to apparatus for washing photographic prints; and the object thereof is to provide an apparatus of this class which is simple in construction and operation and which will automatically discharge and renew the water or other liquid in which the prints are washed any desired number of times; and with this and other objects in view the invention consists in an apparatus of the class specified constructed as hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawings form a part, in which the separate parts of my improvement are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which Figure l is a sectional side view of my improved apparatus for washing photographic prints; Fig. 2, a plan view thereof; Fig. 3, a plan view of a supplemental wash-tank which I employ; Fig. 4, a sectional view of a valve device which I employ, and Figs. 5 and 6 plan views of separate parts of said valve device.

In the practice of my invention 1 provide a main tank a, which is preferably placed on any suitable support 6 and which is provided with a bottom a which is preferably inclined toward the central portion thereof and with which is connected a water-discharge pipe which in the form of construction shown passes through a slot or opening 6 in the support 6 and is connected with a valve-casing c and transversely of the support 5, and in trans:

verse line with the valve-casing 0 is a similarly-arranged valve-casing (Z, with which is connected a water-pipe (Z and which is also provided with a water-supply pipe (Z and the valve-casing 0 is provided with a main discharge-pipe a.

The water-pipe (Z is connected with a water-coil pipe 6, located in the bottom portion of the tank a and preferably coiled in the manner shown in Fig. 2, said pipe 6 being provided with perforations 0 which are preferably directed upwardly and through which the water supplied through the pipe (Z may be discharged into the tank a. I also provide a supplemental tank f, which is shown in section in Fig. 1 and in plan in Fig. 3, and the supplemental tank is larger at the top than at the bottom and preferably provided at the top with an outwardly-directed flange or rim, which rests on the top of the tank a and holds said supplemental tank in proper position within the main tank a. The supplemental tank f is provided with a bottom f composed of copper-wire mesh or a fine copper screen, and pivoted at g to the opposite sides of the supplemental tank and within said tank are yoke-shaped hangers the side members of which project upwardly and are pivoted at g and the cross members of which are intended to support the photographic film or films h, and the bottom end of the side members of the yoke-shaped supports are pivotally connected with the cross bar or bars If at each side of the supplemental tank and by means of which the yoke-shaped hangers may be swung back and forth within the supplemental tank.

At one end of the main tank a that end adjacent to which the valve-casings c and (Z are located-is a tank extension 1', which is in communication with the main tank a, at the bottom thereof, as shown at 2?, and in this tank extension 2' is placed a float i, which is provided with a vertically-arranged rod 73, which is insulated from said float and which passes out through a keeper 6 secured to the tank extension 2' and from which said rod is insulated, and secured to the tank extension 2' is a vertically-arranged rod 71, provided at the u pper end thereof with a keeper 2' through which the valve-rod 6* also passes; but the rod 4* is not insulated through the keeper 6.

Vertically arranged outside of the tank extension t' is a rod j, which is secured to said tank extension at its upper and lower ends, and on this rod j are two vertically-movable contact devices 71; and each of which may be adjusted to any desired. point on said rod by means of a set-screw Z5.

The valve-casing 0 is shown in Fig. 4:, and consists of two parts 0 and c, which are connected by screw-thread, as shown at a, and the bottom part c is provided with a tubular extension with which the discharge-pipe a" is connected and the top part c with a tubular extension with which the discharge-pipe (0 is connected. The parts 0 and 0" form a valvecasing and a valve-chamber 0", and the part c is provided with a transverse plate or diaphragm on, having ports or passages m and placed therein is a valve or, having corresponding ports or passages m", and the valve m is secured to a valve-rod m, which passes up through the tubular extension on part c of the valve-casing and through a screwthreaded plug m, which closes said extension, and the upper end of said rod is provided with an arm m and between the plug m and the valve 777. is a spring m, and the lower end of the rod m is free to turn in the plate or diaphragm m and by turning said rod the ports or passages m in the plate or diaphragm m and the corresponding ports or passages min the valve on" may be caused to register or not to register, as may be desired.

It will be understood that the valve-casings cl and c are exactly the same in construction and operation; but in the form of construction shown the water-pipe (Z communicates with the upper end of the valve-easing (Z, while the pipe (Z which communicates with the coil eicommunicates with the bottom of said val vecasing.

The arms m of the valves in the separate valve-casings c and (Z are connected by a linkbar 02, and pivoted to this link-bar is an armature-lever n, which is pivotally supported at n, and at the opposite sides of the free end of the armature-lever w are placed electromagnets n" and of.

I also provide a battery 0 or any other suitable source of electricity, and this battery is connected with the magnets a and 01, by wires 0 and 0", and said battery is also connected with the rod t by a wire 0", and said rod is insulated from the tank extension r1, as shown in Fig. 2. The magnets n, and 115" are connected, respectively, with the contact devices 70 and 70 by wires 0 and o".

The operation will be readily understood from the foregoing description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the following statement thereof. Suppose the parts to be in the position shown in Fig. 2,with the water free to flow through the Valve-casing (Z into and through the coil 0 and into the tank a. The prints to be washed are placed on the swinging yoke-shaped supports g, and as the water flows into the tank (.6 it gradually rises in the supplemental tank f, and the hangers g may be agitated or swung back and forth by hand or in any desired manner, and as the water gradually rises in the tanks at and f it also rises in the tank extension 2', and the float 2' rises and the float-rod 2 moves upwardly. This float-rod 2" is provided with a vertically-arranged arm 1), provided at its lower end with an angular contact-fingerp", which is adapted to make connection with either of the contact devices 7r; or F, according to the position of the float 2', and as said float a" rises the arm p moves upwardly, and when the float approaches the top of the tank a or the tank extension 2? the contact-finger 79 will strike the contact device if and the circuit will be completed through the wire 0 and the magnet 129, and the armature-lever n or the head thereof will be brought into connection with said magnet 71. and the valve-arms m will be operated to open the valve of the casing c and close the valve in the casing (Z and the water will be free to flow from the tanks (4 and f through the pipe a the valve-casing, and the discharge-pipe a", and in this operation the float vi will gradually fall until the contactfinger p of the arm 1) strikes the contact device 7e, when the circuit will be completed through the wire 0 and the magnet 92; and the armature-lever n will be thrown into the position shown in Fig. 2 and the valve or valvecasing cl will be opened and the valve or valvecasing 0 will be closed and the water will be free to flow into the tank a and from said tank into the tank f, and this operation of the said parts will be continued indefinitely unless controlled. It will be understood that the pipes a and d may be provided with other valves by means of which the flow of water therethrough may be controlled when desired by hand, and means may also be provided, as in other apparatus of this class, whereby a signal will be given for each time that the tanks are filled and emptied.

It will be observed that the various circuits, contact devices, and valves may be so arranged that it will be impossible for the tanks (0 and f to overflow, and various changes in and modifications of the construction herein described may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing its advantages.

The valve mechanism (shown in detail in Figs. 4, 5, and 6, a plan view of which is given in Fig. 2 and a side view in Fig. 1) is not specifically claimed in this case, but is made the subject of a separate application filed on the 30th day of July, 1904, Serial No. 218,799.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an apparatus of the class described, a main tank, a water-discharge pipe communir eating with the bottom thereof, a valve-casing connected with said pipe, a Valve placed in said casing and provided with a stem which passes upwardly therethrough and is provided with an arm, a water-coil in the bottom of said tank, a water-supply pipe connected therewith, a valve-casing connected with said pipe and provided with a stem which passes upwardly therethrough and is provided with an arm, a link-bar connecting the arms of said valves, an armature-lever connected with said bar, electromagnets arranged on the opposite sides of said armature-lever, a float placed at one end of said tank and provided with a vertically-arranged rod forming part of an open circuit in which said magnets are placed and means whereby the rise and fall of said float will open and close said circuit and open and close said valves, substantially as shown and described.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, a main tank, a water-discharge pipe communicating with the bottom thereof, a valve-casing connected with said pipe, a valve placed in said casing and provided with a stem which passes upwardly therethrough and is provided with an arm, a water-coil in the bottom of said tank, a water-supply pipe connected therewith, a valve-casing connected with said pipe and provided with a stem which passes upwardly therethrough and is provided with an arm, a link-bar connecting the arms of said valves, an armature-lever connected with said bar, electromagnets arranged on the opposite sides of said armature-lever, a float placed at one end of said tank and provided with a vertically-arranged rod forming part of an open circuit in which said magnets are placed and means whereby the rise and fall of said float will open and close said circuit and open and close said valves, said tank being also provided with a supplemental tank having an openwork bottom and swinging print-supports, substantially as shown and described.

8. In an apparatus of the class described, a main tank, a water-discharge pipe connected with the bottom thereof, a water-supply coil placed in the'bottom portion thereof, a supplemental removable tank suspended in the main tank and provided with an open-work bottom, swinging print-supports mounted in the supplemental tank and means for automatically supplying water and discharging the same from said tank, substantially as shown and described.

4. In an apparatus of the class described, a main tank, a water-discharge pipe connected with the bottom thereof, a water-supply coil placed in the bottom portion thereof, a supplemental removable tank suspended in the main tank and provided with an open-work bottom, and means for automatically supplying water to and discharging the same from said tank, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence of the subscribing witnesses, this 14th day of March, 1904.

EVERARD LEROY JOHNSON.

WVitnesses:

ADELAIDE JOHNSON, ROBERT S. PELLETREAU. 

